As the Trump administration moves to limit some skilled workers from entering the U.S. on a specialized visa, the Canadian tech sector is champing at the bit — hoping the new restriction will send talent up north. 

The H-1B visa, whose champions include Tesla founder Elon Musk, is a common immigration pathway for international tech talent recruited by U.S. companies. But the White House is slapping a $100,000 US fee on new applications for the visa, forcing companies to pay steeply for their recruits or otherwise find workers in the U.S.

H-1B visas were already hard to get, as thousands of foreign students learn every year upon graduating from U.S. universities, says Becky Fu von Trapp, an immigration lawyer and founding partner at Von Trapp Law PLLC in Stowe, Vt. 

“Canada has built an entire industry by capturing this talent. And with this $100,000 fee, that trend is about to grow much stronger,” she said. “This is almost a gift because every time the U.S. closes the door on global talent, Canada gains.”

Canada will almost certainly benefit from the U.S.’s move to limit new H-1B visas, according to immigration lawyers, talent recruiters and company executives who spoke with CBC News. But some argue that the country can’t rely on its southern neighbour as a feeder for top tech talent, either.

“There’s going to be a net benefit effect for Canada across the board,” said Andres Pelenur, an immigration lawyer and founding partner at Borders Law Firm in Toronto.

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